— Damn… my head hurts.
I braced my hands against the locker room bench while pulling off my combat uniform. Every movement sent a sharp thread of pain straight through my skull.
The blue screen appeared in front of my eyes again.
[Avoid using Goat's Hard Head for the time being.]
— Oh, now you care about me?
I was alone in the locker room.Or at least… I should have been.
I looked around instinctively, but there was no one there.
Just that thing.
[Loading all parameters…]
What the hell was this?A spell?Some hidden magic cast by an instructor?
The window flickered.
[Parameters loaded successfully.]
Before I could complain, a new line appeared right in the center of my vision.
[Please enter the user's name.]
I stared at it.
— …Name?
This was getting way too serious.
The screen blinked, as if it understood my silence.
[How would you like to be addressed?]
Before I could answer, new lines appeared one after another.
[Failure.][Useless.][Loser.]
There was a brief pause.
[Although… the last one suits you especially well.]
My eye twitched.
— Are you a system or a digital bully?
[Both.]
I closed my eyes for a moment and took a deep breath.
— Just… call me by my name.
The screen took a second to respond.
[Error.]
I opened my eyes.
— Error?
[Name not registered.][Identity undefined.][Social status: questionable.]
I clenched my teeth.
— …You're doing this on purpose.
[Obviously.]
I scoffed.
I stood up from the bench and put on my academy uniform, my body still aching. Every movement reminded me that winning a duel with my forehead wasn't exactly a healthy strategy.
I walked toward the locker room exit.
And then I bumped into someone.
— Sorry — I said automatically, giving a brief bow.
— No problem — she replied.
I looked up.
Lotus.
She was wearing her combat uniform, perfectly fitted, as if she had just finished a private training session. Black hair tied neatly, confident posture, sharp eyes… impossible not to recognize her.
The most popular student of the second year.A natural talent.Top rank of the second year.And… my classmate.
Even so, to her, I was practically invisible.
She passed by me without hesitation, without curiosity, without even a second glance.
The blue screen appeared at the corner of my vision.
[Interesting.]
— What?
[Interaction recorded: direct contact with an individual of high social value.]
I looked in the direction Lotus had gone.
— So what?
The answer came too fast.
[Current probability of romantic interest: 0.03%.]
— …Thanks for nothing.
[Observation: statistically speaking, you would have better chances if you were dead.]
I clenched my jaw.
— You really don't know when to shut up.
[Disagree. This is precisely the best moment.]
I sighed and continued down the hallway.
If I was invisible until now…
Then let them keep ignoring me.
By the time they noticed, it would already be too late.
As I walked, I felt a few glances land on me. Low whispers followed wherever I passed. The last-ranked student had claimed his first victory.
Even if no one wanted to admit it.
I stopped in front of the massive ranking board fixed to the academy wall. The crystal surface glowed softly, displaying names and positions in real time.
I touched it.
— Second year…
The list reorganized instantly.
1 — Lotus2 — Klark3 — Bridget
I slowly scrolled down, name after name.
Every one of them stronger than me.Every one of them with magic.Every one of them… above me.
At the very bottom, there it was.
Even after the victory.Even after the duel.
Last place.
My name still sat at the lowest rank.
The blue screen appeared again.
[Interesting.]
— What now?
[No name is currently associated with the user.]
Another line followed.
[Do you exist?]
Then—
[Or am I hallucinating?]
I clenched my teeth.
— Shut up.
— Talking to me?
A voice came from my side.
My body froze.
I slowly turned my head.
Rank 310 — Clauson.
— No — I replied immediately.
He looked me up and down with a crooked smile.
— You're the loser stuck at the bottom of the rankings, right?
Before I could answer, the blue screen popped up with way too much enthusiasm.
[Name registered successfully: Hello, Loser.]
My eye twitched.
— You've got to be kidding me… — I muttered at the screen.
Clauson frowned.
— Are you talking to me?
— No! — I answered way too quickly.
He stepped closer. His magical pressure was weak… but still stronger than mine—which didn't exist at all.
— You wanna die?
The blue screen appeared again, almost… excited.
[Imminent conflict detected.][Rank difference: +10 positions.][Victory probability: Low.][You may die, Loser.]
— You're not helping at all, you know that? — I muttered.
[Disagree.][I am being extremely precise.]
I clenched my fists.
Great.I barely survived one duel…and already got myself into another.
Clauson smiled and stepped forward.
— I think I need to remind you where you belong.
Students nearby started paying attention. Whispers spread. The atmosphere shifted.
— Let's duel. Right now.
My stomach sank.
The screen flickered violently.
[Duel identified.][Nearest arena available.][Victory chance: Extremely low.]
Before I could respond, another line appeared.
[Refusing the duel will result in consequences.]
— Seriously…?
[Yes.][Consequences include: public humiliation, loss of status, and physical pain.]
Clauson crossed his arms, clearly enjoying himself.
— So, loser? Gonna run?
The screen expanded, filling almost my entire field of vision.
[Mission generated.]
Objective: Defeat Rank 310 — ClausonReward: ???Failure: ???
[Do you accept the mission?][Yes] [No]
I swallowed.
I had no magic.No strategy.And I could barely stand.
But still…
I never run from a duel.
— …Yes.
[Mission accepted.]
The system replied instantly.
[Good luck.][Glad I'm not you.]
I let out a slow breath.
I might not have magic.I might not be strong.But I never run from a fight.
I promised someone that.
I returned to the locker room, my body protesting with every step, and put my combat uniform back on.
The screen appeared casually.
[I see that fighting here is a constant.]
— What did you expect? — I muttered. — It's a battle academy. If there weren't fights, that would be weird.
[When you say it like that, it almost sounds like I'm stupid.][I hope you get beaten badly.][Actually… I hope you die.]
— Get in line — I said quietly. — Plenty of people want me dead before you.
My head was still throbbing.My whole body ached, like I'd been hit by a golem.
The screen blinked.
[Observation: user shows clear signs of fear.][Skill "Coward's Sprint" receives an additional +5% speed bonus.]
— I'm not a coward.
A brief pause.
[Observation updated: user is a coward.]
— Shut up — I growled. — And watch. I'm going to beat this guy.
[I hope you break even more.][It's more entertaining.]
— Shouldn't you care about the user's well-being? — I snapped.
[I care about entertainment.]
I closed my eyes.
Of course.A sadistic system.Just what I needed.
The locker room door opened.
The arena's light flooded the corridor, along with voices, laughter, and anticipation. The same place as minutes ago. The same cracked floor. The same crowd waiting for blood—preferably mine.
I took a deep breath and stepped forward.
This time…
It would be different.
I might not have magic.I might not have talent.But I wouldn't fall without dragging someone down with me.
— I'm winning this one too — I murmured.
The screen appeared one last time before the fight.
[Statement recorded.][Probability of success: extremely low.][Looking forward to watching you fail.]
I smirked.
— Then watch closely.
The arena was waiting.